The rocky road of pride
by Tuliharja
Summary: For a brief moment, Senbonzakura questioned Byakuya's pride. And that's how he came to witness how Sode no Shirayuki was killed. Because of that, Senbonzakura realizes where Byakuya's true pride lays... One-shot. Takes place in the Zanpakuto arc, episode 241. Read and review!


Title: _The rocky road of pride_

Author:_ Tuliharja_

Summary: _For a brief moment, Senbonzakura questioned Byakuya's pride. And that's how he came to witness how Sode no Shirayuki was killed. Because of that, Senbonzakura realizes where Byakuya's true pride lays…One-shot. Takes place in the Zanpakuto arc, episode 241._

_Disclaimer: __BLEACH belongs to Tite Kubo. I'm merely just writing fan fiction about it._

Author's note: _Thanks for Sunny betaing this._

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**.:The rocky road of pride:.**

He shouldn't have questioned it. Yet, in a passing moment he did.

He questioned if Kuchiki Byakuya really wanted join their rebellion. He questioned if the man, who held his own position with such high value, was ready to turn his back against his fellow shinigami, his squad and his sister.

If his 'master' had truly spoken the truth when he had told them, then he wanted to follow his instincts. This was just what the Zanpakuto rebellious wanted. He expected Kuchiki Byakuya's instinct was to defend his pride. Pride, which was Kuchiki Rukia and that wouldn't suit their plans. Their purpose was to make shinigami fall down to their knees, to make them understand that they wouldn't submit to the many more. They wouldn't serve them like mere tools, following their wishes and desires while their own were neglected.

That's why Senbonzakura had questioned his master's pride and why he had told the noble man to kill his sister's Zanpakuto, Sode no Shirayuki. It was to prove he didn't have pride because even though Senbonzakura had left his master, he knew _everything _about Byakuya. There wasn't a single, no secrets, no lies. The man, once called his master, had been like an open book to Senbonzakura. A book which was almost like some cliché story about a man who had lived a life of a noble, who had had a great future in front of him and yet he had let it all blow away. Like a snap of the fingers, Byakuya had fallen in love with a poor girl and married her. Except real life wasn't a fairytale and the girl was ill and eventually died. Marrying a peasant did come at a price and Byakuya had to obey every single word from his clan in the aftermath. He did this even though it went against what he had promised his passed wife, but those were mere details. Details that had turned into flaws, errors and sharp, painful cuts. Cuts, which had hurt the noble so deeply that he even missed the pain Senbonzakura brought him. It was something he never asked for, yet again and again Byakuya summoned it. It was drowning them both.

The man was _masochist_, Senbonzakura was almost sure of it. The noble had gone from the sadness of his parents' death's to the loss of his wife, which was a doomed marriage before it even started, then to learn about his poor sister's destiny. Even though in the end Kuchiki Rukia had been rescued, it was too late for to Byakuya fix everything. He was the cold, uncaring big brother and when he had been given the change to fix that, what he had done? Like an actor who had played too long the same role, he hadn't changed. Not even a bit. He was still cold even though, from time to time, his actions seemed almost random. But the milk had already been spilt.

So when Senbonzakura looked through his mask's eyeholes at Byakuya he was sure this would be end of the noble, that his fellow Zanpakuto would kill him. But what had Byakuya done? Instead of just waiting to be killed, he had shunpoed and slashed his blade against Sode no Shirayuki and they had fought. Senbonzakura had merely watched, like a frozen statue. He couldn't believe his eyes and yet somewhere deep inside of him, he did believe. Byakuya loved the death around him and so killing Sode no Shirayuki, wouldn't cause him any problem. Though he had claimed Rukia was his pride, he lied. Because killing someone else's Zanpakuto spirit would mean that the shinigami couldn't ever again use their Zanpakuto. They would become _useless_.

Yet, when Sode no Shirayuki's two, fine pieces hit into the icy pillar and Byakuya stood up, in his eyes was pride. No humbleness or shame. And his words _"there is nothing I won't kill in order to defend my pride", _had Senbonzakura realizing that he shouldn't have questioned it. How foolish and arrogant he had been.

Because Sode no Shirayuki wasn't Kuchiki Rukia. She would survive; even though her Zanpakuto would stay broken.

That was why he vowed to slash Byakuya down if he betrayed them when he had taken the broken Sode no Shirayuki. And why when he had returned her back to Kuchiki Rukia. And why, when he next time was alone with his master, he will strip back his mask and shed a tear.

Because being a warrior with pride meant travelling a rocky road and both Kuchiki Byakuya and Senbonzakura knew it. Yet they both were ready to walk along that path for the honor of their pride: their family.


End file.
